Refrigerator Pickled Beets

A great way to amp up up the nutritional value of beets while being a great addition to salads, side dishes, and appetizers! 

We need to talk about beets.

I was not a fan of them in the beginning. It was so bad that I remember my first time trying them. It was at Jason’s Deli, many moons ago. I was with my health freak friends and they were like, “Oh! You have to add beets to your salad, they’re so good for you!”. I thought to myself, “Sure… If beets can make my entire salad pink then they can’t be that bad!”.

Boy, was I wrong; beets taste just like dirt.

Years have gone by since then and I would now consider myself a beet connoisseur. If I go to a cute mom & pop bakery or a hipster smoothie joint, I will initially scour the menu for anything beet flavored and go for it. One of my favorite things that include beet in the recipe is these amazing beet and ricotta cheese donuts from The Underground Cafe with DoughP Doughnutsin Asheville, NC. They were a total game changer!

I have thought about different ways to incorporate beets into my diet, and eventually, I realized one way to implement beets is to pickle them!

Cool facts about pickled beets:

• Very low in fat, with less than 0.2g in each cup of slices.

• Rich in dietary fiber which helps in promoting a healthy digestive system and stable blood sugar levels.

• High levels of many vitamins and minerals like Vitamin A, B and C, potassium, magnesium, and iron.

• Detox capabilities!

• Contains both essential amino acids betaine (used to help people with depression) and tryptophan (that acts as a natural mood regulator)

There are many ways to incorporate pickled beets into your diet. My favorite way is to add them to salads. You can also add them to a bruschetta style appetizer with goat cheese and basil, breakfast eggs, or a side dish!

Now, let’s talk about how to pickle your beets. Most restaurants or recipes on Pinterest will tell you to pickle your beet or vegetable in sugar or a brine. A little bit of sugar is fine, but I try to avoid adding too much extra sugar to my diet. That is why my recipe uses a very small amount of sugar along with apple cider vinegar just to balance out the flavor. I won’t go too much into detail, as ACV already holds a solid reputation, but ACV is great for regulating blood sugar levels, can improve skin health, and reduce blood pressure. Now, to the recipe, we go!

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

A great way to amp up up the nutritional value of beets while being a great addition to salads, side dishes, and appetizers! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb fresh beets

• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar ((with the mother))

• 1/2 cup filtered water

• 1 tsp organic cane sugar

• 1 pint glass mason jar (wide mouth in picture)

DIRECTIONS

1. Wash and clean beets and add to a boiling pot of water.

2. Boil for up to 25 minutes or until fork tender. (Tip* use boiled beet water as a plant fertilizer!)

3. While beets are boiling, add water, sugar and ACV to a small pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for 5 minutes. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.

4. Let the beets rest and then peel off the skin (taking the skin off after boiling process is much easier than when beets are fresh)

5. Cut into cubes or slices (Tip*place a paper towel over cutting board and wear gloves to prevent staining)

6. Add beets to a jar and pour the liquid mixture over until full to the rim. Allow the pickled beet mixture to cool until room temperature.

7. Screw on lid and transfer to the fridge! You can refrigerate for up to two weeks.

NOTES

Canning option: I will be honest and say that I have not tried canning for long-term storage so I am not sure how these would store later so I don’t recommend it.

Mediterranean Grain Bowl + Goat Cheese And Olive Dressing

Classic grain bowl - Mediterranean style! Great recipe for batch cooking. Homemade goat cheese and olive dressing included!

I don't know about you, but I generally have a busy schedule. An everyday schedule looks something like this: wake up at 6:15AM, get ready for work/prepare a smoothie, long commute to work, work all day, chemistry lecture in between, workout, come home, make dinner, study for GRE, work on homework, work on the blog, and go to bed around 11PM. As you can see, there is not much time in my schedule to make a nutritious and filling lunch.

This is where batch cooking (or meal prep) comes into play! Mastering this art has saved me so much time and money. It has helped me to maintain a healthy weight by not eating out as much, especially at work.  I typically batch cook on Sunday's for two hours. Within two hours I will make lunch for four servings, prep for breakfast meals that I want for that week, and chop fruits/vegetables for snacks and dinner sides. If you are just starting on the batch cooking train, grain bowls are the way to go!

Not only are grain bowls easy to put together, they are also aesthetically pleasing. I love seeing all my veggies laid out on top!

You begin by choosing a grain, a form of protein, some greens, and veggies, and finish it off with something extra like a dressing, lime wedges, or avocados. For this recipe, I decided to create a Mediterranean style grain bowl by using couscous, lemon and garlic marinated chicken, tomatoes, cucumbers, and mixed greens. I also created a goat cheese and olive dressing that is simple to make in a mason jar but is even easier if you have a food processor.

Mediterranean cooking has become a popular way of eating as it consists mainly of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and healthy fats with lean sources of protein like fish and poultry. This style of cooking is very easy to follow especially when it comes to batch cooking lunches. In this Mediterranean grain bowl recipe, you will need to cook the grain and protein but the rest is all fresh ingredients that are super easy to assemble. What’s even better about grain bowls is that you can add or take away ingredients if you need to! For example, if you want to skip the meat, you can instead toast chickpeas with 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and Italian seasoning in the oven at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes until brown and crispy.

Let us know how you like to prepare your favorite grain bowl! If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to comment and share!

Classic grain bowl - Mediterranean style! Great recipe for batch cooking. Homemade goat cheese and olive dressing included!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast

• 1 cup cooked couscous

• 1/2 cup black olives

• 3 gloves garlic (peeled and minced)

• 1 whole lemon

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes

• 1/2 small red onion (sliced)

• 1 whole cucumber (sliced)

• 1 large handful of spinach or mixed greens

Goat Cheese & Olive Dressing

• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (more if into vinegar like me!)

• 1 Tbsp dijon mustard

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1/4 tsp pink Himalayan sea salt

• 1/4 tsp crushed black pepper

• 4 Tbsp avocado oil (or EVOO)

• 2 Tbsp goat cheese (or feta cheese)

• 3 whole olives

• 1 clove garlic

DIRECTIONS

1. Marinate chicken with minced garlic, juice, and zest of one lemon and S/P for at least 30 minutes. If you have more time, marinating it overnight will create a super juicy chicken!

2. Grill or cook chicken in a skillet for 5-10 minutes per side until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. While the chicken is cooking, add all dressing ingredients to processor and process until smooth and creamy. If you do not have a processor, finely mince garlic and olives and add to mason jar along with the rest of the ingredients and shake vigorously until desired creamy texture.

4. Assemble!

NOTES

1. This recipe will make four servings. With that in mind, divide up your couscous, chicken, veggies, and dressing in order to create four-grain bowls!

5-Ingredient Vegan Pesto

This vegan pesto will soon become a fridge staple as it uses 5-ingredients in less than 5 minutes!

Pesto has got to be my most favorite sauce of all time!

But unfortunately, since I am lactose intolerant, it can be very hard finding a vegan version of pesto in grocery stores and in most restaurants since parmesan plays a major role in the sauce.

Well, what do I do?! What can I do to resolve this issue!?

Create a super easy vegan version of pesto with just 5-ingredients is what I can do! (That’s a mouthful!)

You will probably have most of these ingredients on hand except maybe nutritional yeast. For my vegan and vegetarian subscribers, I know it can be hard to incorporate vitamin B12 into your diet, and often plant-based eaters end up deficient since B12 occurs naturally in animal foods. Nutritional yeast is a great way to get your daily recommended amount of vitamin B12! See source for more information.

Adding nutritional yeast will not only help with vitamin B12 but will also give the pesto a “cheesy” flavor.

Pesto is a great everyday sauce that can be used in many dishes such as pasta, appetizers, chicken and/or potatoes. Pesto is great in the fridge for up to a week or stored in the freezer (in an airtight container) for up to 1 month. One of my favorite things to do is to pour pesto sauce into an ice tray. All you need to do is heat up a skillet, pop out a pesto cube or two, and let it melt! Add chicken breasts or tempeh to the skillet and you will have a very simple and easy side dish!

What do you like to put pesto on? Please let me know in the comments section and if you tried this super easy 5-ingredient vegan pesto! Don’t forget to subscribe and share! :)

This vegan pesto will soon become a fridge staple as it uses 5-ingredients in less than 5 minutes!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups packed fresh organic basil

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

• 5-8 raw almonds

• 3 large cloves of garlic (peeled)

• 1/3 cup EVOO (oil free version-water or veggie stock)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a food processor, pulse almonds and garlic until finely chopped.

2. Add basil, yeast, and S/P on high until loose paste forms.

3. While the processor is on low, pour the oil through the feed tube gradually. Scrape down the sides and add more if necessary to achieve the desired sauce consistency. (Oil-free version* add water or vegetable stock gradually until desired consistency)

4. Taste and adjust if necessary, adding more nutritional yeast for that cheesy flavor, salt for overall flavor, garlic for that “bite” or almonds for a nuttier flavor.

5. Best stored in the fridge for up to one week or freezer for up to 1 month. 

Chicken Zoodle Soup

Chicken zoodle soup is filled with winter harvest vegetables, healthy fats, and sustaining ingredients that will keep you full and filled with all the good feels during this winter season! 

 How cute is my baby boy in this winter storm we had a few weeks back!?

As this may be Rory's first introductory post, he is a pure breed Pembroke welsh corgi and just turned three years old in January! Rory is a very sweet and active boy and definitely keeps us on our toes! Even though he could barely see past the snow flurries, he absolutely loves the winter. If only his love for winter could rub off on me! This ties into another thing that you will learn about me ...

Hello, my name is Candace... and I am not a soup fan! Phew, there I said it!

If I go out to eat or plan out my meals for the week, I am not thinking about soup. Instead, I am thinking about salads, tacos, grain bowls, sandwiches -- you name it! But during these bitterly cold months, I am searching for anything hot and comforting for the body. This soup is filled with winter harvest vegetables, healthy fats, and sustaining ingredients that will keep you full and filled with all the good feels during this winter season!

This soup is inspired by the traditional chicken noodle soup with upgrades that are catered to gluten free, dairy free and low carb lovers. The soup may be a healthier take on the traditional, but it certainly does not lack in flavor and heartiness.

Chicken zoodle soup is a crowd pleaser; the aroma is HEAVENLY when you simmer this bad boy. It’s also super versatile! Feel free to add more veggies, or omit chicken if you want to go vegan. You could also change the protein to a plant-based protein with chickpeas or tofu.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo with #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Chicken zoodle soup is filled with winter harvest vegetables, healthy fats, and sustaining ingredients that will keep you full and filled with all the good feels during this winter season! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast

• 3 carrots (sliced)

• 3 celery stalks (sliced)

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1 yellow onion

• 2 large zucchini (spiralized)

• 1 cup frozen peas

• 2 cups each organic low sodium chicken and veggie stock

• 2 cups canned coconut milk

• 1/2 lemon

• 1 handful Italian parsley

• 1 tbsp coconut oil

Seasonings

• 1 tsp celery salt

• 1 tsp crushed rosemary

• 1 tsp thyme

• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

• 2 bay leaves

• S & P

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat coconut oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat.

2. Season chicken breasts with S&P and add chicken to pot. Sear for about 5 minutes per side. Set aside to rest.

3. Saute minced garlic and chopped onion and cook until translucent.

4. Add carrots, celery, and peas and cook for about 5 minutes

5. Shred or dice chicken and add back to the pot.

6. Add both stocks and coconut milk along with the seasonings.

7. Turn the heat down to low-medium heat to let simmer for about 20-25 minutes with the lid on. During this time, you can spiralize the zucchini.

8. Take out the bay leaves and add the spiralized zucchini and parsley. Simmer on low for 5 minutes.

9. Squeeze in lemon and it's ready!

Classic Vegan Truffles

These truffles are rich, creamy smooth and just melt in your mouth! Literally, as I am writing this post, my mouth is watering! 

Classic vegan truffles are to die for!

Valentine’s day is coming up, so truffles are a great safe option to make for that special someone or just for you! Truffles are great to make the day before as the flavor consistency tastes best when chilled overnight. 

As most of you know, a classic chocolate truffle includes a ganache that is composed of heavy cream and bittersweet chocolate. You can dip the truffles in chocolate or dust them off with cocoa powder.

I am lactose intolerant, so I haven’t been able to eat a classic truffle in quite some time. Through countless recipe testings, I am finally at a point where I can eat a truffle and not be sick!

While this recipe follows the traditional approach on making a classic truffle, the special ingredients that are orchestrated in these special little balls are what makes them stand out the most.

Check out below on how to make these amazing bad boys!

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo with #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

These classic vegan truffles are made with ingredients that are naturally lower in sugar while maintaining the classic creamy ganache texture!

INGREDIENTS

• 12 oz good quality vegan dark chocolate ((60% or higher))

• 1 can coconut cream

• 1/4 cup coffee

• 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small saucepan, heat coconut cream, coffee, and pure maple syrup while whisking consistently. Just as it starts to boil, take the saucepan off the burner.

2. Cut the chocolate bark into pieces (can use small chocolate chips too) and place into a medium bowl.

3. Pour the cream mixture over the chocolate. With a spatula, fold the cream mixture with the chocolate until fully incorporated.

4. Let the mixture sit until room temperature and place into fridge to chill for up to 2 hours.

5. When the ganache is firm, use a small scooper or spoon and form the ganache into balls. Roll them in your favorite toppings like cocoa powder, coconut flakes, or melted chocolate with clean, cold hands.

6. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve!

NOTES

1. Before setting your ganache mixture in the fridge to chill, cover the top layer with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from developing as well as to keep the ganache away from dirt and fridge odor.

2. Best when chilled in the fridge overnight. If you are putting it in the freezer to speed up the "chilling process", set the ganache out until room temperature before scooping into balls. If you try to scoop when the ganache is really firm to frozen, then the ganache will fall apart and it will be hard to form balls.

3. If you find the balls are melting in your hands as you are forming them, wash your hands and keep an ice packet or frozen bag of peas at bay to lower your hand's body temperature.